For Quite Some Time
by FrostedDarkfox
Summary: This namby-pamby worrying and whining had to stop. She was not some over bred and under-educated, simpering and swooning court lady. Knights were supposed to solve problems.


Adults have cooties. I'd rather still be a young teen who'd just begun reading Pierce's work and who kept a writing folder in her backpack for writing down the odd phrase that seemed worthy, witty or poetic.

In my perusings of PotS fics, I find it unacceptable that there is no real alternate point of view. I did revert to 'Oh, gosh I can't say it, I'll kiss you!' but at least Kel was brave and determined and took the first step!

Wasn't beta'd.

* * *

She wasn't shy, just quiet. She preferred to come to her own conclusions, to be level headed and composed about important decisions before taking action. Of this, Keladry was sure: she was in love with Dom and had been for some time.

She had long since passed the stage of stuttering, blushing and tripping over her own feet in his presence but her feelings remained strongly in place. She was sure it was love. It was something that ran deeper than all other relationships had before, something undeniable, deep within her bones.

The next step after sureness was action. Knights were supposed to solve problems. Kel was a problem solver. She didn't shirk duty and this was a duty to her heart that she could no longer ignore. This may have been closer to home than the Code of Chivalry dictated but nevertheless, action was required of her.

Of her own feelings she was certain; less so of his. She was very fond of him – looked for his company to soothe her foul moods and share her elated ones. Really, he made the most pleasant moods just by entering the room.

They looked out for each other far more than just comrades would. Both would gladly (and nearly had) taken arrows for the other or jump into frays where ridiculously outnumbered (however inadvisable). He was a constant in her life, an ever present constant since the day she signed into squire-ship with Raoul.

Of his feelings… she was assured comradeship and a staunch ally should she ever need one in any arena (though with her stable judgment and comportment, this was hardly necessary). He often sought out her company on days off just to laze about her quarters, mirror her in training or follow her to the markets. That obviously indicated that he enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed his. And he had an unswayable obsession with making her smile or laugh, often joining his hearty laugh with her giggles.

This led her to the conclusion that she must possess at least some of his heart – and she decided to let him know that he had done the same. This namby-pamby worrying and whining had to stop. She was not some over bred and under-educated simpering and swooning court lady.

She was worthy of being loved. They were equals on the battlefield (excepting glaive work and tilting) and had many similar tastes and humors (their constant association with Neal being a great one of them).

She would take command of her heart, for the moment, put her emotions at a safe distance and evaluate them until she had come to a rational level-headed conclusion. All but born and bred for battle, she could handle the most terrible situations with ice water in her veins and this could hardly be considered a time to let herself deviate from that behavior.

Kel began working at a plan of action. If he had similar feelings and they were dancing around each other as new pages learning to waltz, they were wasting time. The moments of awkwardness would be nothing if he felt the same. And if not, she would have tried her best and fought a fight worth fighting.

She searched for a suitable time to approach him for just under a week when it presented itself to her: third company was coming back to Corus for the midwinter season and was due for time off for the men to visit families while the company restocked their supplies.

She was calm and she was confident as she walked towards him across the practice yard where he had just left his squad as they trundled off to the baths.

"'Lo Kel," he greeted with a smile and they exchanged pleasantries.

"Dom," she was confident but didn't know exactly how to phrase what to say, so she closed her mouth again to compose herself. Before he could open his mouth to question her, her hands reached up and pulled his jaw down to hers. His mouth was full and warm.

Again interrupted by her quickness she dropped her hands and released him before he could fully comprehend what had happened and sling his own arms about her and keep her as close as she'd been. She'd taken half a step backward to give him his space back. He managed to get a few fingers around her wrist before she stepped back further.

She looked unblushingly at him as color flooded his cheeks. He didn't look mad or concerned (or uncomfortable, she concluded, as he would have at having to reject her), but rather a goofy kind of smile was starting to hint about his lips.

"W-well, hello." His voice cracked a bit.

"I hope that was okay," Kel began, "I've decided to let you know that I have feelings for you. Have had for quite some time."

"Oh..." said Dom. He trailed off as he looked at her. His eyes travelled all over her face, resting on her lips. He looked at her as if he had never seen her properly before.

Still that smile and his light grip on her lingered.


End file.
